Buckle.



BRIGHAM.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

FREDERICK L. BRIGHAM, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

Application filed April 17, 1912. Serial No. 691,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. Baro- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Figure l a face view of a buckle constructed in accordance with my invention shown as applied to a suspender. Fig. 2 a side View of the same. Fig. 3 a vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 a rear view of the buckle, detached. Fig. 5 a top view of the same shown in the locked position. Fig. 6 a similar view showing the lever in theunlocked position. Fig. 7 a rear perspective view of the face plate, detached. Fig. 8 a perspective view of the lever, detached.

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles, and particularly to buckles of the so called rustless type, and while particularly adapted for use on suspenders, is capable of other use, such as hose supporters.

The object of this invention it to produce a two-part buckle which may be readily webbed, and which will be not only rustless, that is, no metal will be exposed at the back, but also a buckle which will be exceedingly flat in front and have no projecting portions which are liable to injure the clothing of the wearer; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claim.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a flat face plate 2 formed at its ends with rearwardly turned ears 3, 4. The edges of the plate are turned slightly rearward and the upper edge 5 is serrated or formed with gripping teeth. In connection with a plate thus formed, I employ a locking lever 6 preferably formed from a single piece of wire the ends 7 and 8 of which are adapted to be entered through perforations 9, 10, formed in the respective ears 3, 4, and the extreme ends of the lever may be upset so as to interlock the lever with the face plate. The ends 7 and 8 are downwardly and inwardly offset from the central portion of the lever as shown in Figs. 4: and 8 and the lever is formed at its center with a downwardly projecting finger 11. The offset ends are so arranged that when the finger 11 extends downward the main portion of the lever will stand closely adjacent to the inner face of the plate 2 and in a plane above the plane of the ends of the lever as shown in Fig. 4:; then when turned upward, the central portion will move away from the plate. In webbing the buckle the end 12 of the web is passed downward between the plate and the lever, and is turned over the top of the lever and extends down through the usual suspender end 13, and thence upward between the plate and the portion of the web folded over the lever. The end 12 is preferably stitched to the downwardly extending portion 13 of the web so that the upwardly extending portion 14 may be moved without interfering wit-h the end 12, although it is conceivable that in certain qualities of web the stitching will be unnecessary. When the portion 14 of the web is adjusted, the finger 11 of the lever 6 will be turned downward, and so as to clamp the two portions of the web between the lever and inner face of the plate, and with such force as to prevent possible slipping. lVhen thus engaged the teeth 5 will assist in holding the plate against movement on the web. While I have spoken of turning the lever 6 it is immaterial whether the plate is held rigid and the lever turned with relation to it, or whether the lever is held and the plate turned. The efl ect will be the same of rocking one with relation to the other so that suflicient space is formed between the portion of the web looped over the lever and the face plate for the free passage of the portion 14 of the web. The finger 11 is provided not only to hold the lever in its locked position owing to the downward strain of the portion 18 of the web, but if the lever is formed from wire, as shown, the finger will provide additional spring so that the buckle will readily accommodate itself to straps of difl'erent thicknesses. It will be particularly noted that with this form of plate and lever, not only does the buckle present a flat surface at the rear, but also that the plate lies flat against the web, and thus presents no projections liable to injure the clothing of the wearer.

I claim In a rustless buckle, the combination with a buckle-plate provided at its ends with inwardly turned ears and having its upper edge formed with inwardly turned teeth, of a buckle-lever located directly back of the said plate, provided at its ends with downwardly and inwardly offsetting trunnions passing through the said ears between which the said lever is situated 'and formed with a depending finger-piece, and a length of webbing having one end looped over the said buckle-lever and engaged with the said finger-piece for the attachment of the webbing to the buckle, and the running portion of the webbing being passed from front to rear over the said loop and then upward behind the upper port-ion of the said plate and over the teeth thereof, the running portion of the webbing being ealnmed upward against the teeth upon the upper edges of the said buckle-plate by the buckle-lever which is retained in its closed position by the offsetting of its trunnions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK L. BRIGHAM.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC C. EARLE, CLARA L. WEED.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

